Prime Minister Milojko Spajić (Europe Now Movement) said today at the Prime Minister's Office in Parliament that war crimes occurred in Split's "Lora" and that this was confirmed by the Croatian courts.
He made this statement in response to a question from MP and leader of the ruling Democratic People's Party (DNP), Milan Knežević - were "war crimes committed against Montenegrins and Serbs in the Croatian 'Lora' camp?"
Spajić said that in order for the region of the former Yugoslavia to "make a step forward and achieve the best good-neighborly relations", it is essential to "put an end to the past" and fully investigate all allegations of war crimes, "in accordance with international law and the principles of the rule of law, which are the backbone of our European values".
"I appreciate that this is a prerequisite for progress - we must respect the victims and obtain a judicial epilogue to all crimes. Montenegro wants justice for all, and is ready to persevere to the end in prosecuting crimes and compensating victims," he said.
Spajić reminded that war crimes do not have a statute of limitations, saying that the crimes in "Lora" were confirmed through convictions (before Croatian courts) "for the prison chief and the guard."
"Unfortunately, the testimonies about Montenegrin citizens who were captured and killed there have not yet reached a court conclusion - these cases have never even been processed," the Prime Minister added.
Spajić stated that the Montenegrin State Prosecutor's Office has established cooperation with the Croatian State Attorney's Office, that an agreement on cooperation and prosecution of perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide has been prepared, as well as an agreement on understanding and cooperation in the field of support for witnesses, injured parties and victims for their participation in criminal proceedings for war crimes, which, he added, has been forwarded to the Croatian State Attorney's Office for the purpose of harmonization.
"We believe that the aforementioned agreements will contribute to a more efficient, effective and proactive prosecution of war crimes. So, war crimes did occur in 'Lora', which was confirmed by the Croatian courts," the Prime Minister stated.
Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman denied the existence of the "Lora" camp in an interview with "Vijesti" last week. He stated that "there is no such thing as a 'Lora camp' and there never was", that it is not an open issue between Zagreb and Podgorica, but rather "a narrative that aims to equate aggressors and victims", and that "everything surrounding the events in the Lora prison has been processed and adjudicated". Grlić Radman also stated that the adoption of a resolution in the Montenegrin parliament condemning the aggression on Dubrovnik, in which Montenegro participated in the early 1990s, would be a "good gesture towards Croatia".
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Knežević said he was "partially satisfied" with Spajić's response, claiming that Grlić Radman is "just an agent of the agreement that exists" between former Montenegrin President Milo Đukanović (Democratic Party of Socialists) and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković (Croatian Democratic Union).
"Đukanović and Plenković lobbied and lobbied so that I, (Parliament Speaker Andrija) Mandić (New Serbian Democracy) and (Deputy Prime Minister Aleksa) Bečić (Democrats) would be declared persona non grata in Croatia, and that we would not close all chapters (in negotiations with the European Union)... That's how reformist the DPS is and how much it wants Montenegro in the EU. The goal is for us to additionally sprinkle ourselves with ashes and accept all the guilt of this world...", he assessed.
Knežević said that the goal of all this is to create conditions for "recomposing the (ruling) majority", and that "Vijesti" is "a media platform for that".
"... There was an interview with this Mr. Radman in that media, and this Mr. Radman starts with a cannonade, trampling over our dead, repeating new demands. And what is he doing, Mr. Spajić, to you and us - he is announcing the Dubrovnik resolution. Live or die, it won't be long before someone here will submit a resolution on the Dubrovnik battlefield... That should be a watershed in order to move towards some imaginary minority support," he said.
Knežević stated that Grlić Radman, the next time he mentions the victims of "Lora", should be declared persona non grata in Montenegro. The DNP MP called on the leaders of the Montenegrin prosecution to use "all legal mechanisms" to obtain data and information about the people who killed in "Lora".
In recent years, relations with Croatia have deteriorated due to some open issues. Among other things, because of "Jadran" and the plaque on the site of the former Morinje camp in Kotor.
The biggest "cooling off" occurred this summer, when the Montenegrin parliament adopted a resolution on the genocide in the Jasenovac camp, which Croatia strongly protested, shortly afterwards declaring Mandić, Bečić and Knežević as undesirables.
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